How to use screen pinning feature of Android Lollipop ?

by Nikhil Azza · December 18, 2015

Protect your personal information by screen pinning feature of Android lollipop. Temporally lock or pin the screen for using only certain application.

Android provides improved privacy and device security features with Android Lollipop. One such most undervalued features of Android Lollipop is screen pinning. Screen pinning allows you to temporally lock or pin the screen for using certain apps. In other words, it locks the screen in the specific app, and you cannot access any other apps.

How to screen pin:

Open setting of your Android device.

Android Settings App

Open security.

Under security look for the option called screen pinning. Tap on it.

Screen Pinning under security option

Turn On.

Screen pinning ON/OFF

Now open Overview screen (Also called recent task list or recent apps)

You will notice a pin shaped icon on the recent app list.

Overview or recent task list having pin shaped icon on bottom right

Choose the app you want and tap on pin shaped icon. The screen will be locked or pinned.

Screen Pinned

How to unpin screen:

Method 1: Press and hold back button.

Method 2: Press and hold back and overview/recent apps button.

Method 3: Press and hold overview or recent list button.

Method 4: You can also protect the screen pin by screen lock options like password protection and pattern lock. (You will be asked while screen pinning)

Note: You cannot receive calls notifications when screen pinning in Android Lollipop is in use.

Screen pinning is extremely useful in the following scenario:

If someone asks your phone for making a call, you can screen pin dailer for protecting your personal info.

When playing games, screen pinning will protect the game from killing which may occur by accidentally tap the home button or back button.